The UMH inaugurates a Botanical Garden with 110 Mediterranean plant species in the campus of Elche.
The Rector of the Miguel Hernández University (UMH) of Elche, Jesús Pastor Ciurana, has inaugurated a Botanical Garden in the campus of Elche this morning, it is placed between the Rectorate and Social Council building and the Altet building. Its dimensions are 5.000 square metres and it possesses a wide variety of native plant species, in total, 110 native plant species. The project aim is to let the university community know and enjoy a complete selection of Mediterranean plants.
During the inauguration, the Rector of the UMH has planted an Araucaria Excelsa (known in English as Norfolk Island Pine), which is a typical tree throughout the Elche countryside. The Botanical Garden is designed by the landscape architect, Santiago Pérez, and it is built by Jardines La Lara company. To select the species, the criterion of economic efficiency has been used so as to save resources. To that end, plant ground cover and pine barks, gravel and compacted sand have been applied in large areas of soil.
The Garden area is divided into five zones. One of them, Las Dunas zone, is made up of Mediterranean wetland plants such as tamarinds from El Hondo, willows from the Segura creek, black poplars and olive trees. These serve as a transition to the zone of La Huerta, made up of fruit trees. Another zone is La Espiral de arbolado, formed by the most used ornamental trees in the Valencian Community.
El Jardín Topiario is another of the zones of the UMH Botanical Garden. A selection of Mediterranean species is cultivated and orderly pruned. Lastly, El Jardín Mediterráneo zone is made up of holm oaks, olive trees, mastics, gall oaks, terracings and stone bunds which brough together the Agriculture and the Mediterranean garden.